What does an MMA enthusiast do when the June curse rolls over to more months? What if it’s July or even this October? They hope multiple shifts and pullouts do not alter the UFC 308 pay-per-view lineup as well! No. 12 ranked middleweight Khamzat Chimaev was to meet No. 3 middleweight Robert Whittaker in a potential No. 1 contender bout. The scrap was to be the UFC 308 co-main event in Abu Dhabi. However, UFC’s Events listings now have them bumped down to the third fight of the night.
Per the official page, the UFC 308 main card commences on October 27 – at 2:00 AM GMT+8. Etihad Arena, Yas Island at West United Arab Emirates. When top bill fighters make the walk, it’ll be Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov serving as the co-main event of the night. This might just be to facilitate a three-round regular affair instead of five, for Khamzat Chimaev. But fans are fearing the worst!
The Chechen ‘Borz’ was to meet former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker atop the UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov card. However, Chimaev pulled out due to some unexplained “violent illness” and has not shed light on the matter ever since. Some consider that the wrestle-heavy explosive middleweight out of Team Allstars Training Center can handle the ‘Reaper’. Historically though, Chimaev’s grappling and pre-fight camps have been exhausting on his gas tank.
While a bump down might be facilitating an easier push for Khamzat Chimaev, long promised to be a title shot candidate, fans remain on guard. Even though the Official UFC page still has them at the spot, Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) noted on X that the tweet about the shift down was deleted altogether. As such, the uncertainty over the matter has gone viral.
Fight fans react to Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev moving down from co-main event
Robert Whittaker (26-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) has only lost thrice since moving to the 185-pound mark. The former champion is 2-0 since last year’s International Fight Week and has had two high-octane battles. While logging in his maiden defense of the title, even Dricus Du Plessis billed him to be most worthy of a title shot next. His matchup with boogeyman Khamzat Chimaev is to be a sliding marker to decide just that.
Chimaev caused a resurgence of interest in UFC competition back in 2020 when he won back-to-back bouts in 10 days. The piercing ‘Borz’ stands as a perfect challenge for a heavy-duty Whittaker. That is not to say a HW showdown for Gane vs. Volkov isn’t interesting. The Strela Team heavyweight is on a 4-0 winning streak after his UFC on ABC 6 co-main scrap and is a clear future challenge for undisputed gold. However, here are a few reactions to Chimaev vs. Whittaker pairing trading spots.
To paraphrase all of what the MMA community thinks, a prominent reply (@nftkoosh), for example, thinks “It’s over”. While some want to put the ‘Borz’ hype to the test at UFC 308, most fans think the best he is suited for is three rounds or that this signals some ‘violent illness’ incoming. With the UFC tweet deleted, as such, there’s no telling yet if ‘Bobby Knuckles’ gets to face him at all.
Status Update
The UFC has reinstated Chimaev vs. Whittaker as the Co-main event after bumping it down earlier. They did so with a tweet on their official X account. While all fans were relieved, many still seemed a bit skeptical. Some even questioned the UFC’s communication strategy.
The matchup we’ve all been waiting for 👀
How excited are you for the #UFC308 co-main event? pic.twitter.com/BqAXk2oAsJ
— UFC (@ufc) September 1, 2024
A fan also teased that most of them did see the earlier deleted tweet. As such, many would hope there aren’t any more surprises to UFC 308 as it is the most stacked card since UFC 300.
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